Модальные глаголы английского языка. Учебное пособие

22

e.g. However cold it may be, we’ll go skiing. Try as he may he will never be top of his class.

c) in object, predicative and appositive clauses ašer verbs or nouns expressing hope, wish, fear:

e.g. I fear he may fall ill.

’e prisoner had hopes that he might be set free.

Note some set expressions with the modal verb may / might:

I may / might as well + in‘nitive — it is very mild and unemphatic way of expressing an intention.

e.g. I may as well take the child with me. (¡, • , • …

).

I might as well stay at home tonight.

It can be used with other persons to suggest or recommend an action. e.g. You may as well give him the letter.

might just as well means ‘it would be equally good to’ and is used to suggest alternative actions. ’ough the meaning is basically the same as in three previous sentences, “just” makes the sentence more emphatic. e.g. — I’ll go on Monday by a slow train. — You might just as well wait

till Tuesday and go by the fast one.

— I’ll do it at six. — ’at’s far too late. You might just as well not do it at all. ( • • • •.)

 It might have been worse means ‘’ings are not so bad ašer all.’ In Russian it is rendered as: • • • • or ‹

• .

He might have been a … means ‘He might have been taken for a …’, ‘He looked like a …’. In Russian it is rendered as: ‚ • • • • …

e.g. Roy Wilson, the new doctor, was twenty-eight, large, heavy, mature

and blond. He might have been a Scandinavian sailor.

If I may so so … has become a stereotyped phrase in which the meaning of permission is considerably weakened. In Russian it is rendered as: ¢ • • • …

e.g. If I may say so, I think you have treated him very badly.

23

► FOLLOW-UP ACTIVITIES

Exercise 11. Comment on the form and meaning of the verb may / might. Translate the sentences into Russian:

1. Darling, I’m sorry I was so drunk yesterday… I may have seemed churlish, but I don’t think I’m not deeply grateful for your concern. I may yet need your help… (Murdoch) 2. “He may not even know I’m here.” (Forster) 3. I think, when I’m twenty-‘ve, then I may get control of money. (Hemingway) 4. You may get up now. (Hornby) 5. Supper passed o˜ better than might have been expected. (Maugham) 6. His eyes were so close together that I honestly thought they might run into each other one day. (Murdoch) 7. Well, don’t let’s look on the black side of things. She may get over it in a few weeks. (Dreiser) 8. He likes to be the ‘rst person to be looked ašer in this house, and if I had a baby he mightn’t be. (Dickens) 9. It was entirely my fault. Please, forgive me. May I kiss you? (Hemingway) 10. I thought we might go and have a snack together before the show. (Maugham)

Exercise 12. Answer the following questions with suitable suggestions, using may (or might) and the words in brackets:

1. TERRY: Why is John wearing sunglasses? It’s not sunny.

YOU: (have some problem with his eyes) He may have some problem with hi s eyes.

2.JILL: Why didn’t Jane come to the party last night?

YOU: (have a row with her boyfriend) She might have had a row with

her boyfriend.

3.SUE: Why is Alan in such a bad mood today?

YOU: (sleep badly last night) ________________________________

4.ROY: Why is Shelley looking under the desk?

YOU: (drop something) ____________________________________

5.JILL: Where can I have put my bag?

YOU: (beœunder the bed) ___________________________________

6.ZOE: Why hasn’t anybody said ‘Happy Birthday’ to me?

YOU: (plan a surprise) _____________________________________

7.TIM: Why does Henry look so miserable?

YOU: (have some bad news) ________________________________

8.ELLA: Why isn’t Sophie in the o•ce today?

24

YOU: (work at home) ______________________________________

9.JOHN: Why didn’t Rosemary come to the cinema last night?

YOU: (feel tired) __________________________________________

Exercise 13. Look at these pieces of advice and complete the sentences explaining why the advice should be followed. Use may or might:

1.You should reserve a seat on the train when you travel on bank holidays. If you don’t, you may have to stand up for the whole journey.

2.You’d better not carry that heavy suitcase. If you do, you might injure your back.

3.You should carry a map when you visit London. If you don’t, ______

_____________________________.

4.You should check the timetable before you leave for the station. If you don’t, _____________________.

5.You ought not to eat too many cream cakes. If you do, ___________.

6.You’d better invite your grandmother to your wedding. If you don’t, __

_______________________________.

7.You should have your car serviced regularly. If you don’t, ________.

8.You shouldn’t go to a party the night before your exam. If you do, ____

_____________________________.

9.You ought to arrive punctually for work. If you don’t ____________.

10.You should eat plenty of fresh fruit and vegetables. If you don’t ______

___________________________.

Exercise 14. Use the required form of the in nitive a er may or might in the following sentences:

1. On the whole there was less said than might ______ (toœexpect). 2. Don’t turn on the light. ’is fellow may _____ (toœlurk) outside house door. 3. You’ve acquired a great deal of experience. You might _____ (toœwrite) a book. 4. ’ere was no sign of John in the street. Of course, I said to myself, he might _____ (toœdetain) at his o•ce. 5. “Who said Mr. Sorrel had gone to America?” “He might ________ (toœtell) it himself.” 6. Strickland is very ill. He may _____ (toœdie). 7. Jack had the feeling that Maurice might one day _____ (toœbreak) down. 8. But what you tell me may not _____ (oœbe) true. 9. I was deeply shocked and worried. “It is no easy matter to ‘nd the man,” the doctor said to me. He might _____ (toœread) my thoughts. 10. He may not _____ (toœwant) to become a publisher in the ‘rst place, but once

25

he had taken it up the profession had appeared to absorb all his interests. 11. Mr. Fox said something about it once, but I might not ________

(toœunderstand) him properly. 12. “’en why on earth all this secrecy?” “One never knows who may _____ (toœlisten).”

Exercise 15. Translate the following sentences into English using may / might in all possible meanings:

1. ƒ• • • . ƒ• • • • • • • . 2. ‡ • , • • • • †. 3. ‚ • • • Œ

. ¢• Œ • . 4. ‚ • . 5. ‚ ,

• • , . 6. ‚ , • • , † Œ • - • . 7. • • • • . 8. , • • , • •• . 9. ¡ • , • • • • • •, • • •

• • . 10. ¡ • , • ‰ „

• , • • • ‰ . • , • Œ , • • • ,

… • . 11. ¡, • • • , • Œ •

• , • ‰ † . 12.

• , • • , •• • , • , • • • ,

† • . 13. ‹•, • • , •‰ • • . 14. ‰ • , • • • •, , • • • , Œ • . 15. - • ‰ • . ¡ • •

, • , • • , •‰ .

CAN AND MAY COMPARED

’e use of can and may is parallel only in two meanings: possibility due to circumstances and permission. In these meanings, however, they are not always interchangeable for a number of various reasons.

1)’us in the meaning of possibility due to circumstances the use of may is restricted only to a•rmative sentences, whereas can is found in all kinds of sentences.

He can nd this book at the library. He may nd this book at the library. Can he nd this book at the library?

He cannot nd this book at the library.

’eir time reference is also di˜erent. May refers only to the present or future; the form might is used in past-time contexts only in reported speech. Can (could) may refer to the present, past or future.

Both could and might combined with the perfect in‘nitive indicate that the action was not carried out in the past.

e.g. He might have found the book at the library. He could have found the book at the library.

It follows from the above that the sphere of application of can in this meaning is wider than that of may.

3)When may and can express permission the di˜erence between them is rather that of style than of meaning — may is more formal than can which is characteristic of colloquial English.

Compare: May (might) I speak to you for a moment, professor? Can (could) I have a cup of tea, Mother?

May in negative sentences expressing prohibition is uncommon.

28

B:_____ (Couldn’t / Can’t) you read? Look at the notice; it says: ‘FOOD

_____ (MAY / COULD) NOT BE EATEN IN THIS WAITING ROOM.’

3.A: _____ (May / Could) someone help me?

B:What _____ (may / can) I do to help you?

A:We need to move the chairs and to clean this room. Can you help?

B:I’m afraid I _____ (may not / can’t) move the chairs because of my bad luck.

Exercise 19. Insert may / might, can / could or their negative forms:

1. “’ere is a man I know,” I said; “you _____ have met him, a man named Longrush.” (Jerome K. Jerome) 2. I _____ neither lie comfortably in bed nor ‘nd anything to do with myself if I got up. (Murdoch) 3. She jumped up when she saw me and said, “Really, I think she _____ have waited a bit before dismantling the house!” (Murdoch) 4. I beg the Magistrate’s pardon, but _____ I request a few minutes private conversation with him on a matter of deep importance to himself? (Dickens) 5. I said, “_____

I help you?” (Murdoch) 6. “Perhaps,” said the Captain, “you _____ have heard your head governor mention my name?” (Dickens) 7. “I didn’t say he wasn’t a colonel,” he said, “he _____ have been once for all I know. Ašer all, he’s almost forty.” (Benson) 8. Catherine’s cup was never ‘lled: she _____

neither eat or drink (E. Brontë) 9. Oh, well you _____ be right. I don’t know. I’m not going to try to explain or adjust myself now. (Dreiser) 10. “Old Callendar wants to see me at his bungalow,” he said not rising. “He

_____ have the politeness to say why.” (Forster)

Exercise 20. Translate into English using the verbs can and may whenever possible:

1. • • • , • • • Œ • ; , -

• • , • …. 2. « • • • , • • •

, • • • • • • ».— « , • • •

• • ». 3. • • • • … • ? 4. •

• • • • ? 5. ‹ ‰ • •, • • , ‰ ;

• • • , • • • • • . 6. ‚ • • •

• , • • • • . 7. • • • , • •

• • , • • . 8. • • • •

• Œ • ? 9. , † Œ • , • • • ,

• • • • . 10. ¡ • ; , • • ,

29

• . 11. €• •, • • • • • • • Œ •… • • • , • ‰ , • Œ • ? 12. « †•?» — « †, ‚ • • • • ‰ ».— « • • • , • • • , … • • • , •

». 13. - • ‰ ! ‹• • • ‰ ,

• • , • .

MUST

’e modal verb must has only one form. It is used in present-time contexts with reference to the present or future and in combination with the perfect in‘nitive it refers to the past. In past-time contexts this form is used only in reported speech, i.e. the rules of the sequence of tenses are not observed with must.

e.g. I knew I must go there too.

I. Must followed by the non-perfect common in‘nitive may express:

1.Immediate obligation, duty or necessity, or an obligation referring to the future.

’is meaning occurs in positive statements and questions. e.g. You must talk to your daughter about her future. Must he do it himself?

In this sense the verb must corresponds to the Russian , ,

.

e.g. Do it if you must ( • , ). I must go now (• • ).

Must expresses obligation or compulsion from the speaker’s point of view (unlike ‘have to’, which involves some other authority than the speaker, such as o cial regulations, etc.).

e.g. You must be back at 2 o’clock. I want you to do some cooking. You must call me Sir (Iœlike it that way).

Obligations expressed by must refer to the present or future, in reported speech they may refer to the past.

e.g. James said we must invite the Stewarts to dinner.

Future obligations can be made more precise with the future inde‘nite of the verb have to.

e.g. I’ll have to read it again.

We will have to give you a new copy of the book. ’e absence of necessity is expressed be need not.

e.g. — Must I go there tomorrow? — No, you needn’t, if you don’t want to. Must is used interchangeably with to be to for instructions, notices, or

orders.

e.g. Guests must be out of the building by midnight.

Passengers must cross the lines by the footbridge (the railway company instructs them to).